Waiting on Wednesdays: Scarlett Undercover by Jennifer Latham

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

Scarlett Undercover by Jennifer Latham

Publish Date: May 19, 2015

Publisher: Little Brown

I love Veronica Mars so this sounds like my kind of book. Plus, it's in line with my goal to read more diverse books.

Feature and Follow Friday #233

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

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Waiting on Wednesdays: We Can Work It Out by Elizabeth Eulberg

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

We Can Work It Out by Elizabeth Eulberg

Publish Date: January 27, 2015

Publisher: Point

This is a follow up to Lonely Hearts Club, which is actually my least favorite of Eulberg's books. But I feel like I should give it another chance and then pick this one up.

Doctor Who Experience Photos!

I have a few more photos from my UK trip to share. I promise I'll get back to posting book reviews soon!

One day of our trip was spent in Cardiff at the Doctor Who Experience. It's a 2 hour train ride from London, which made for a long (and very expensive) day trip. It was so worth it!!!

It started with a short interactive experience where you went on an adventure with the Doctor. Then there were two floors full of old sets, costumes, and props. I loved that.

We didn't have much time to spend in Cardiff. The only other thing we did was walk around the Bay and see the Millennium Centre, which was gorgeous, especially at night. Then we took the train back to London.

Here are a few photos:

Feature and Follow Friday #232

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

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Harry Potter London Studio Tour Photos!

Sorry for the delay in posting more photos from my recent London trip. I was out of town again last week and now I have a particularly nasty cold. I'm literally hacking as I type this.

Here are photos of my trip to the Harry Potter Studio Tour at Leavesden Studios, which is a 20 minute train ride outside of London. I didn't realize it was so close. It looks like a nice suburb. I also have a photo of me from Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station.

The Studio Tour was so cool! It was magical to see all the props and sets from the movies. It was even better that the tour had been redecorated for Christmas time.

There are a lot of photos in this post, but nothing compared to the number of photos I actually took. I'm pretty sure I took over 500 photos at the studio tour. I wouldn't be surprised if the number was closer to 1,000. I photographed everything. On an interesting note, my first trip to the UK back in 2001 when I was 19, was back in the film days. I spent 6 weeks in the UK and took only 5 rolls of film, for a grand total of 120 photos. Film was expensive and I was nothing if not cheap. Hard to believe I easily exceeded 6 weeks of photography in a few hours at the studio tour. On my mobile phone no less.>

Here are the photos:

Waiting on Wednesdays: Mr. Kiss and Tell (Veronica Mars #2) by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

Mr. Kiss and Tell (Veronica Mars #2) by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham

Publish Date: January 20, 2015

Publisher: Vintage

I just finished listening to the first Veronica Mars book on audio today. I loved it! I can't wait for the next one.

Feature and Follow Friday #231

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

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I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

Release Date: September 16, 2014
Publisher: Dial
Source: BEA

Summary

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.(courtesy of Goodreads)

Book Riot Quarterly Box #5 Unveiling

I always look forward to the arrival of my Quarterly Book Riot box. I wish it came more often, although of course then it wouldn't be a special event. Luckily, Box #5 (the fourth box I've received) was fantastic. I think it may be my favorite one yet!

Book Riot is a very popular book blog and recently created a quarterly subscription box. For $50, they will send you a box filled with books and book related items every quarter. This is their fourth box and the third one that I received. I've loved them all. If you haven't subscribed yet, I highly recommend it. It's always a lovely surprise.

Feature and Follow Friday #230

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

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London Bookshop Visits and Book Haul!!

Hello all,

I just got home from a wonderful two week trip to Europe!!!

We spent a week in London (with a day trip to Cardiff), three days in Vienna, and two days in Prague. It was so much fun.

I managed a few bookstore visits during my trip to London and bought a few books that aren't available (yet) in the US - at least not from what I can tell. I wish I could have spent loads more time in bookshops, but we had much to do and not enough time to do it. 

Feature and Follow Friday #229

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

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Waiting on Wednesdays: Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman

Publish Date: March 10, 2015

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

This is a sequel to Seraphina, one of my all time favorite fantasy novels. I can't wait!

Feature and Follow Friday #228

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

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Waiting on Wednesdays: Boys Don't Knit by T.S. Easton

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

Boys Don't Knit by T.S. Easton

Publish Date: March 24, 2015

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

This came out last year in the UK and will soon be released in the US. It sounds great. Original.

Feature and Follow Friday #227

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

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The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer

The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer

Release Date: April 8, 2014
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Source: Library

Summary

Witty, sarcastic Ethan and his three friends decide to take down the reality TV show, For Art's Sake, that is being filmed at their high school, the esteemed Selwyn Arts Academy, where each student is more talented than the next. While studying Ezra Pound in English class, the friends are inspired to write a vigilante long poem and distribute it to the student body, detailing the evils of For Art's Sake. But then Luke—the creative force behind the poem and leader of the anti-show movement—becomes a contestant on the nefarious show. It's up to Ethan, his two remaining best friends, and a heroic gerbil named Baconnaise to save their school. Along the way, they'll discover a web of secrets and corruption involving the principal, vice principal, and even their favorite teacher.(courtesy of Goodreads)

Waiting on Wednesdays: Playing A Part by Daria Wilke, Marian Schwartz

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

Playing A Part by Daria Wilke, Marian Schwartz

Publish Date: March 31, 2015

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books

I've never read any Russian YA fiction. I'm interested both in the plot and the opportunity to learn a bit of Russian culture.

My 5 Most Influential Books

I've really enjoyed this meme that's gotten popular lately. I love seeing what books have meant the most to people. It's especially fun when we share influential books.

Here are my five most influential books:

Feature and Follow Friday #226

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

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Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle

Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle

Release Date: October 21, 2014
Publisher: Poppy
Source: BEA

Summary

The romantic story of a girl who gets plucked from obscurity to star in the next major feature film franchise based on a book and the ensuing love triangles she gets entangled in on—-and off screen.

Meet Paige Townsen, Rainer Devon, and Jordan Wilder…

When Paige Townsen, a young unknown, gets cast in the movie adaptation of a blockbuster book series, her life changes practically overnight. Within a month, Paige has traded the quiet streets of her hometown for a crowded movie set on the shores of Maui, and is spending quality time with her co-star Rainer Devon, one of People’s Sexiest Men Alive. But when troubled star Jordan Wilder lands the role of the other point in the movie’s famous love triangle, Paige’s crazy new life gets even crazier.

In this coming-of-age romance inspired by the kind of celeb hookups that get clever nicknames and a million page views, Paige must figure out who she is – and who she wants – while the whole world watches.(courtesy of Goodreads)

Waiting on Wednesdays: All Fall Down by Ally Carter

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

All Fall Down by Ally Carter

Publish Date: January 27, 2015

Publisher: Scholastic

A replacement for Gallagher Girls! I was so sad to see that series end, but this one sounds just as great.

Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

Release Date: November 4, 2014
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Source: BEA

Summary

Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own.

She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind doesn't mean she has... (courtesy of Goodreads)

Feature and Follow Friday #225

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

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Waiting on Wednesdays: The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall

Publish Date: January 13, 2015

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

This sounds really exciting. Thrillers aren't always my thing, but this sounds like a combination of fun and suspense.

Feature and Follow Friday #224

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

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Help! Need British Book Recommendations

I'm headed to the UK in November. I am so, so excited. I haven't been there since 2006 and have missed it ever since my last trip. The plan is to be in London for a week. We will make a (long) day trip to Cardiff to go to the Doctor Who Experience and also go to Leavesden for the Harry Potter studio tour, which is pretty close to London. Otherwise, I think we will be in London the entire time.

After London, we will be flying to Vienna and then Prague for a few days to visit friends and go to the Christmas Markets - something I have always wanted to do.

Waiting on Wednesdays: Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

Publish Date: November 4, 2014

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

It's almost here! The conclusion to one of my favorite series!

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Release Date: June 18, 2013
Publisher: William Morrow Books
Source: Purchased

Summary

Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.

Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what.

A groundbreaking work from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out. It is a stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark. (courtesy of Goodreads)

Manga Mondays: Skip Beat vol. 33 by Yoshiki Nakamura

Manga Mondays Meme

I've been doing Manga Mondays every week since I started my blog 4 years ago. It started out as a personal feature, but I decided to turn it into a meme last year. There are quite a few people who do Manga Mondays. I don't claim by any means that I owned or created the idea of Manga Mondays - it's an obvious choice given the alliteration. I think a meme is a great way for everyone to publicize their own Manga Mondays and get a little more publicity.

The linky will be below my review.

Skip Beat vol. 33 by Yoshiki Nakamura

Summary

Kyoko Mogami followed her true love Sho to Tokyo to support him while he made it big as an idol. But he's casting her out now that he's famous! Kyoko won't suffer in silence--she's going to get her sweet revenge by beating Sho in show biz!

Kyoko’s twin tasks of keeping Ren from breaking under the strain of his characters and playing Setsuka are starting to take their toll on her. But the real danger is revealed when the desires of Setsuka and Kyoko merge. Can Kyoko stay in character and protect her heart with a half-naked Ren in her bed?! (courtesy of Goodreads)

Review

Feature and Follow Friday #223

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

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Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

Release Date: October 7, 2014
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Source: BEA

Summary

In her most powerful novel yet, Newbery Honor author Ann M. Martin tells the story of girl with mental/emotional challenges and the dog she loves.

Rose Howard has OCD, Asperger’s syndrome, and an obsession with homonyms (even her name is a homonym). She gave her dog Rain a name with two homonyms (Reign, Rein), which, according to Rose’s rules of homonyms, is very special. Rain was a lost dog Rose’s father brought home. Rose and Rain are practically inseparable. And they are often home alone, as Rose’s father spends most evenings at a bar, and doesn’t have much patience for his special-needs daughter.

Just as a storm hits town, Rain goes missing. Rose’s father shouldn’t have let Rain out. Now Rose has to find her dog, even if it means leaving her routines and safe places to search. Rose will find Rain, but so will Rain’s original owners.

Hearts will break and spirits will soar for this powerful story, brilliantly told from Rose’s point of view. (courtesy of Goodreads)

Waiting on Wednesday: Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles #3.5) by Marissa Meyer

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles #3.5) by Marissa Meyer

Publish Date: January 27, 2015

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

I'm really looking forward to the final installment in the series, but this will be a great way to tide me over!

Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout

Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout

Release Date: August 14, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Source: BEA

Summary

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…(courtesy of Goodreads)

Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy vol. 4 by Maki Minami

Manga Mondays Meme

I've been doing Manga Mondays every week since I started my blog 4 years ago. It started out as a personal feature, but I decided to turn it into a meme last year. There are quite a few people who do Manga Mondays. I don't claim by any means that I owned or created the idea of Manga Mondays - it's an obvious choice given the alliteration. I think a meme is a great way for everyone to publicize their own Manga Mondays and get a little more publicity.

The linky will be below my review.

Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy vol. 4 by Maki Minami

Summary

Hime Kino's dream is to one day do voice acting like her hero Sakura Aoyama from the Lovely Blazer anime, and getting accepted to the prestigious Holly Academy's voice actor department is the first step in the right direction! But Hime's gruff voice has earned her the scorn of teachers and students alike. Hime will not let that stand unchallenged. She'll show everyone that she is too a voice acting princess, whether they like it or not!!

After days of grueling training at Yamad's special voice acting retreat, Hime can finally bring forth her prince voice! Now she's ready to start her next job as a recurring character in an exciting new anime. But her first day on the set doesn't go as she'd hoped. Why do her costars and the producers seem to hate her when they just met her?! (courtesy of Goodreads)

Review

TV for Book Addicts: Broadchurch: A Novel by Erin Kelly and Chris Chibnall

Were you a fan of Broadchurch? Have you been watching Gracepoint? If you haven't, you must watch either or both immediately. Actually, start with Broadchurch. Gotta go with the original. It's only 8 hours. Plus, David Tennant! (although Olivia Colman's performance was my favorite)

The creator of Broadchurch commissioned experienced mystery writer Erin Kelly to  novelize the television show. To my surprise, I really liked it.

Broadchurch: A Novel by Erin Kelly and Chris Chibnall

Release Date: August 14, 2014
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Source: Netgalley

Summary

In the sleepy British seaside town of Broadchurch, Detective Ellie Miller has just returned from vacation, only to learn that she’s been passed over for a promotion at work in favor of outsider Alec Hardy. He, escaping the spectacular failure of his last case, is having trouble finding his way into this tight-knit community wary of new faces. But professional rivalry aside, both detectives are about to receive some terrible news: 11-year-old Danny Latimer has been found murdered on the beach.

For Ellie it's a personal blow; Danny was her older son’s best friend. She can’t believe anyone in Broadchurch would ever have harmed him. But Alec considers everyone, even Danny’s parents, suspect in his death. It’s a living nightmare for everyone involved…even before the press arrive and start stirring up the secrets every town member keeps hidden behind closed doors.

An intimate portrait of a town and the ordinary grievances that have slowly simmered for years before boiling over in an unthinkable crime, this remarkable adaptation of the hit television show Broadchurch tells the story of a shattered family, a reeling town, and the two imperfect detectives trying to bring them answers.(courtesy of Goodreads)

Feature and Follow Friday #222

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

---

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Release Date: October 7, 2014
Publisher: Putnam Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher

Summary

I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.(courtesy of Goodreads)

Waiting on Wednesday: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Publish Date: February 20, 2015

Publisher: Orion

The synopsis compares this to Divergent and Hunger Games, but this sounds more high fantasy to me. Either way, it sounds exciting.

Not in the Script by Amy Finnegan

Not in the Script by Amy Finnegan

Release Date: October 7, 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's
Source: BEA

Summary

Millions of people witnessed Emma Taylor’s first kiss—a kiss that needed twelve takes and four camera angles to get right. After spending nearly all of her teen years performing on cue, Emma wonders if any part of her life is real anymore . . . particularly her relationships.

Jake Elliott’s face is on magazine ads around the world, but his lucrative modeling deals were a poor substitute for what he had to leave behind. Now acting is offering Jake everything he wants: close proximity to home; an opportunity to finally start school; and plenty of time with the smart and irresistible Emma Taylor . . . if she would just give him a chance.

When Jake takes Emma behind the scenes of his real life, she begins to see how genuine he is, but on-set relationships always end badly. Don’t they? Toss in Hollywood’s most notorious heartthrob and a resident diva who may or may not be as evil as she seems, and the production of Coyote Hills heats up in unexpected—and romantic—ways.

This novel in the deliciously fun If Only romance line proves that the best kinds of love stories don’t follow a script.(courtesy of Goodreads)

Feature and Follow Friday #221

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

---

Waiting on Wednesdays: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Publish Date: April 7, 2015

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

This sounds like a fun romance and I love the title! Looking forward to its release.

Feature and Follow Friday #220

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

---

Wonderfully Wicked Blog Tour: Guest Post + Giveaway

Wonderfully Wicked by C.J. Burright

Release Date: May 13, 2014
Publisher: Swoon Romance

Summary

He haunts her dreams and embodies her nightmares…

Waiting on Wednesdays: My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

Publish Date: February 10, 2015

Publisher: HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray

I was initially drawn to this book because of the title. Heart and Black holes? Who could want more. But the synopsis sounds fabulous. Definitely something I want to read.

"Smart, Strong Woman:" Is this phrase an insult?

I was going to post a review today, but I just finished reading a fascinating article about an interview conducted by Linda Holmes of NPR and Shonda Rhimes, creator of Grey's Anatomy and Scandal.

Part of the interview involved a discussion in response to an article that appeared Friday morning in the New York Times which referred to Ms. Rhimes as an "angry black woman," which the writer apparently meant as a compliment, but was not taken that way by anyone else, least of all Ms. Rhimes.

Anyway, the interview between Linda Holmes and Shonda Rhimes touched on the racial aspects of the television industry and also discussed gender issues. Ms. Rhimes said that she hates the frequent description of her characters as "strong, smart women." Why use those descriptors, she asks? Is the alternative writing "dumb, weak women?" She goes on to note that male writers are never complimented for creating "smart, strong men."

Manga Mondays: Mushroom Pup vol. 1 by Aoboshi Kimama

Manga Mondays Meme

I've been doing Manga Mondays every week since I started my blog 4 years ago. It started out as a personal feature, but I decided to turn it into a meme last year. There are quite a few people who do Manga Mondays. I don't claim by any means that I owned or created the idea of Manga Mondays - it's an obvious choice given the alliteration. I think a meme is a great way for everyone to publicize their own Manga Mondays and get a little more publicity.

The linky will be below my review.

Mushroom Pup vol. 1 by Aoboshi Kimama

Summary

A depressed author. A concerned editor. An eccentric mushroom researcher. And a strange pink mushroom... that turns into a dog?! Put this all together and you get Mushroom Pup. Mushroom Pup tells a heart-warming tale of the power of friendship, a dog's love, and the dangers of dwelling on regrets. With the help of his friends and the mysterious Mushroom Pup, Hotaru Yuyami, a grieving picture book author, slowly begins to move forward after the tragic loss of his beloved dog, Hanako. Full of laughs and warm moments, Mushroom Pup is sure to find a place in your heart. (courtesy of Goodreads)

Review

Feature and Follow Friday #219

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

---

Where To Read When Banned From Your House

*Bang!*                                                                   *Bang!*

*Bang!*                                                                   *Bang!*

We are getting a new roof. Starting yesterday and through Monday, construction guys will be tearing apart our old roof and putting on a new one. We had a horrible hail storm back in May. Basically everyone in my part of town (guessing 20,000-30,000 people) had their roofs damaged in this storm. My car had about $5000 worth of damage. It's finally getting fixed next week.

Waiting on Wednesdays: The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead

Publish Date: February 10, 2015

Publisher: Razorbill

Can't remember if I've featured this before or not. Since I reviewed Silver Shadows yesterday, Bloodlines is on my mind. I cannot wait to finish off this series and see where Sydrian end up!

Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

Release Date: June 29, 2014
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Purchased

Summary

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.

Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive.

For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .

Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.(courtesy of Goodreads)

GIVEAWAY! The Young Elites by Marie Lu

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Release Date: October 7, 2014
Publisher: Putnam Books for Young Readers

Summary

I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

Feature and Follow Friday #218

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

---

The Bookish Seven Deadly Sins Tag

One of my favorite bloggers, Aylee from Recovering Potter Addict posted a super fun survey the other day. I don't usually do these things, but I really enjoyed the questions.

Waiting on Wednesdays: Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

Publish Date: September 23, 2014

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

This sounds fascinating and I love the cover. So beautiful.

Sisters by Raina Telgemeier

Sisters by Raina Telgemeier

Release Date: August 26, 2014
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: BEA

Summary

Raina can't wait to be a big sister. But once Amara is born, things aren't quite how she expected them to be. Amara is cute, but she's also a cranky, grouchy baby, and mostly prefers to play by herself. Their relationship doesn't improve much over the years, but when a baby brother enters the picture and later, something doesn't seem right between their parents, they realize they must figure out how to get along. They are sisters, after all.

Raina uses her signature humor and charm in both present-day narrative and perfectly placed flashbacks to tell the story of her relationship with her sister, which unfolds during the course of a road trip from their home in San Francisco to a family reunion in Colorado.(courtesy of Goodreads)

Feature and Follow Friday #217

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

---

Book Riot Quarterly Box #4 Unveiling

I was having a bad day yesterday. Just when I was at my peak of sulking, the dog started barking like there was an ax murderer bearing down towards his neck. That can only mean one thing. The UPS man!

To my great pleasure, the latest Book Riot Quarterly Box had arrived! Just in time to cheer me up. (And to the dog's great pleasure, the UPS man came bearing dog biscuits in addition to packages. A smart man)

Book Riot is a very popular book blog and recently created a quarterly subscription box. For $50, they will send you a box filled with books and book related items every quarter. This is their fourth box and the third one that I received. I've loved them all. If you haven't subscribed yet, I highly recommend it. It's always a lovely surprise.

Waiting on Wednesdays: Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

Publish Date: September 23, 2014

Publisher: Simon Pulse

I've heard good and bad things about this, but I've been impressed with Scot Westerfeld's Uglies series so I'm excited for this one.

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Release Date: August 14, 2014
Publisher: Dutton
Source: Purchased

Summary

Love ignites in the City That Never Sleeps, but can it last?

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.(courtesy of Goodreads)

Feature and Follow Friday #216

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

---

Thought Gathering: When do you write book reviews?

How long do you wait after finishing a book before writing a review? Do you need time to gather your thoughts or do you do it right away?

This topic came to mind, because I finished Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins this afternoon. I'd been planning to write a review of it for today. I spent a frenzied twenty minutes sitting in my car in the Target parking lot finishing up the book (partly to get it done, but mostly because I couldn't put it down). Then when I got home, I found that I couldn't write a review. Not because I didn't have anything to say, but because I couldn't decide how I felt.

Waiting on Wednesdays: The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Rees Brennan

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Rees Brennan

Publish Date: November 11, 2014

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Magnus Bane is one of my favorite characters from Cassandra Clare's books. I've managed to resist buying the short stories individually in favor of waiting for the full book to be released. It's almost here!

Re-Reading Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Release Date: December 2, 2010
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Source: Purchased

Summary

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited? (courtesy of Goodreads)

TV for Book Addicts: The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Kate Rorick and Bernie Su

Have you watched the Youtube series "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries?" If not stop reading this blog and start watching the shows immediately! It is a year long web series of 3-5 minute videos posted twice a week. As the title implies, it is a modern interpretation of Pride and Prejudice.


The series does a wonderful job of bringing the beloved novel to life. Lizzie meets Darcy. Lizzie hates Darcy. Darcy loves Lizzie. Lizzie still hates Darcy. Lizzie loves Darcy. Plus add in genteel poverty and family problems. The show does a great job of portraying Lizzie as a cool, strong young woman and also updating the plot by changing the antiquated ideas that a woman's only role is to be married and that if a woman dares have sex outside of marriage, she and her entire family are ruined forever.

Recently, the showrunners came out with a companion novel to the show. Here are my thoughts about it.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Kate Rorick and Bernie Su

Release Date: June 24, 2014
Publisher: Touchstone
Source: Purchased on audio

Summary

Based on the Emmy Award–winning YouTube series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

Twenty‑four‑year‑old grad student Lizzie Bennet is saddled with student loan debt and still living at home along with her two sisters—beautiful Jane and reckless Lydia. When she records her reflections on life for her thesis project and posts them on YouTube, she has no idea The Lizzie Bennet Diaries will soon take on a life of their own, turning the Bennet sisters into internet celebrities seemingly overnight.

When rich and handsome Bing Lee comes to town, along with his stuck‑up friend William Darcy, things really start to get interesting for the Bennets—and for Lizzie’s viewers. But not everything happens on‑screen. Lucky for us, Lizzie has a secret diary.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet takes readers deep inside Lizzie’s world and well beyond the confines of her camera—from the wedding where she first meets William Darcy to the local hangout of Carter’s bar, and much more. Lizzie’s private musings are filled with revealing details about the Bennet household, including her growing suspicions about her parents’ unstable financial situation, her sister’s budding relationship with Bing Lee, the perils of her unexpected fame, and her uncertainty over her future—and whom she wants to share it with.

Featuring plenty of fresh twists to delight fans and new readers alike, The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet expands on the web series phenomenon that captivated a generation and reimagines the Pride and Prejudice story like never before.(courtesy of Goodreads)